VeggieConverter

Helping moms introduce meatless meals with ease.

Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce

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Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce 1

Day 358.

I love enchiladas, but I'm not always a fan of the enchilada sauce. I'm not sure how else to describe it, but some sauces taste too earthy for me. I've always intended to try my hand at my own homemade sauce, but it's one of those things I've been overthinking. You know how it goes: "That has to be pretty complicated, right? Yeah, must be, I'll just try yet another brand of store-bought sauce to see if I like it." Never fails there's always a little something about the sauce I don't like.

So, we were at our local wholesale club recently rummaging through the clearance section (one of my favorite things to do there and probably my husband's least favorite things to watch me do) and found a box of 12  6-ounce cans of tomato paste for $4. The box was a little banged up, but all the cans were fine. Bargain, right? Then, this morning I was trying to decide what to make for Christmas dinner tomorrow (we usually have Meaty Vegetarian Lasagna, but we decided to try something different this year, mainly so I could post about a new recipe, lol).

I had some leftover pumpkin from our delicious Pumpkin Brownies. For some reason I got it into my head to combine pumpkin and black beans, but it was a toss-up between creating Pumpkin Black Bean Chili and Pumpkin Black Bean Enchiladas. My husband and I were both leaning toward the enchiladas, but I really didn't want to go to the scary pre-Christmas grocery store. That's when the husband reminded me about that bargain of tomato paste and encouraged me to take the plunge on making our own sauce. I'm so glad he did.

Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients for 1 pint (about 2 cups)

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons flour (or cornstarch for gluten-free)
  • 3 tablespoons Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
  • 2 cups water
  • 6 ounces tomato paste

Directions
Heat oil, flour and taco seasoning in a large pot over medium heat for 1-2 minutes (add a splash of your water if it gets too difficult to stir. Add water and tomato paste, dissolving tomato paste in water. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, stirring regularly.

To can: pour completed sauce into prepared pint jar and process in a boiling water canner for about 20 minutes.

The Results
Wow. Seriously easy and seriously incredible. Since we love our taco seasoning flavor I guess it comes as no surprise that we love the flavor of this enchilada sauce. I think this could work with your own favorite taco seasoning, too. I'll end up using this can tomorrow for our enchiladas so I didn't end up processing the can, but I think I'll make a quadruple batch next time around and can 4 pints for future enchiladas and tamales. Yum. No more mediocre store-bought sauce for us!

This post is shared with Fresh Bites Friday, Gallery of Favorites, Simply Delish and Muffin Tin Monday.

MexiBurger {Vegan}

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MexiBurger {Vegan} 2

Day 356.

When Quorn sent me a sample of their new soy-free Vegan Burger, I was thrilled for the company since it launched its first vegan product (it's other products contain egg whites). But, I'll be honest, I wasn't all that personally thrilled since I'm not a fan of pre-made veggie burgers. I love homemade patties like this Beefy Quinoa Burger or this Fajita Burger, but the only pre-made patties I've ever liked are black bean patties. Other veggie patties I have thought are OK, but not really worth it for me when I can make them up pretty easily myself.

But as it turns out, not only has Quorn made a good business decision, they've also somehow managed to accomplish the miracle of miracles and create a really tasty pre-made veggie burger. It is smoky and slightly spicy and has a chewy, meaty (but not tough texture). The kids and I loved the patties and so did my husband the meat-eater. I hate to say I was shocked that it was so good, but that's the truth. I'd expected, at best, to be telling you that it was decent under a mound of flavor-masking toppings. All that said, I did create a pretty delicious set of toppings for this new vegan offering.

MexiBurger
Ingredients for 4 burgers

  • 4 Quorn vegan burger patties
  • 1 cup dairy-free Mexican cheese (optional)
  • 1/2 pint (about 1 cup) Roasted Corn Salsa
  • 1-2 tablespoons taco seasoning
  • black olives, sliced
  • crumbled tortilla chips or strips

Directions
Preheat oven and a baking sheet to 400. Place patties on sheet when oven is preheated and bake for 12 minutes, adding cheese (if desired) with 2 minutes remaining.

Mix roasted corn salsa with taco seasoning. Top burgers with salsa, black olives and tortilla crumbles.

The Results
The whole family loved these burgers the spiciness in the patties was enhanced by the spiciness of the toppings. The kids ate theirs bento-style with the cheeseburgers cut in pieces, seasoning-free corn salsa in another section and olives in another. They loved it all. And the whole meal was complete in 15 minutes. Fantastic.

Note: I was not financially compensated for this post; however, I did receive a sample of the product. All opinions are my own.

This post is shared with Simple Lives Thursday, Tip Day Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Things I Love Thursday, It's a Keeper, Full Plate Thursday, and Ultimate Recipe Swap.

Roasted Corn Salsa Quesadillas {Vegetarian}

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Roasted Corn Salsa Quesadillas {Vegetarian} 3

Day 344.

After opening up my pint of Roasted Corn Salsa for Roasted Corn Salsa salad yesterday, I knew I'd be in for a few other corn salsa treats this week. Today's creation is a simple favorite for the kids: Roasted Corn Salsa Quesadillas. Quesadillas are definitely are go-to food for the kids in a pinch. They will eat nearly anything inside a quesadilla. I love that about them. It also gives my husband and I the opportunity to eat messy things while keeping their food fairly contained.

Roasted Corn Salsa Quesadillas

Ingredients for 4 quesadillas

Directions
Lay four tortillas on a sprayed or greased griddle (or one at a time in a pan). Top with 2 tablespoons cheese and 1/4 cup salsa per tortilla. Top with remaining cheese and remaining tortillas. Grill over medium heat for about 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Serve with more salsa and sour cream for dipping, if desired.

The Results
Unsurprisingly, the kids loved these. My husband and I thought they were pretty tasty, too. And, maybe more importantly during the holiday season (which also includes both my birthday and my husband's), it's an incredibly fast meal to get on the table.

This post is shared with What's for Lunch Wednesday , Gallery of Favorites, Simply Delish and Muffin Tin Monday.

Fajita Casserole {Vegetarian}

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Fajita Casserole {Vegetarian} 4

Day 337.

With some leftover fajita vegetables, I decided to create a simple Mexican casserole that the kids should love. The fajita vegetables can be made with just about any combination of chopped vegetables. Mine included peppers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli and cauliflower.

Fajita Casserole
Ingredients

  • 6-7 small corn tortillas (corn tortillas tend to hold up a bit better in casseroles)
  • 2 cups fajita vegetables
  • 2 cups black beans
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 2.5 cups Mexican cheese, shredded

Directions

Fajita Casserole {Vegetarian} 5

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray or grease an 8 x 8 baking dish. Place 3 tortillas on the bottom layer (I cut 2 in half and place the flat edges along the perimeter and add a third to the center for a complete bottom layer). Top with half of the fajita vegetables. Mix black beans and taco seasoning, layering half on top of the vegetables. Add 1/3 cup of salsa and 1 cup cheese. Top with 2 tortillas and repeat layers.

Top with 2 more tortillas, spread remaining 1/3 cup salsa and 1/2 cup cheese on top of the top layer of tortillas. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until heated through and cheese is bubbly.

The Results
This was quick and delicious. The kids really enjoyed it; it was a lot easier for them to eat than faijtas since it's all sealed together. The tortillas held up well.

This post is shared with What's for Lunch Wednesday , Gallery of Favorites, Simply Delish and Muffin Tin Monday.

Vegan Taco Bar

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Vegan Taco Bar 6
Day 306.
 
We love tacos and Mexican food in general in our house. But sometimes we like to add a little variety to our taco nights. Which type of variety that is varies on which family member you ask. So we serve our taco bars with multiple proteins, multiple toppings choices and multiple shell choices to allow everyone to create what they like. The real key to this type of meal, in my opinion, is the Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix. We mix a quadruple batch up in a large (16 ounces) leftover minced onion spice container and use it regularly. It makes tacos and other Mexican dishes much more frugal and is easy to mix up. Bonus for those with allergies: it's gluten free.
 
 
Vegan Taco Bar
Ingredients
Taco proteins:

Serve with:

  • Soft flour tortillas
  • Soft corn tortillas
  • Hard taco shells (don't judge me for the red; they were on clearance)

Optional toppings:

  • Lettuce, torn or shredded
  • Salsa
  • Cilantro, fresh
  • Cheese (vegan, if desired)
Directions
Vegan Taco Bar 7
Vegan Taco Proteins
Mixing in1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning, heat each cup of proteins either in a pan or microwave. Serve family style with various shells and toppings.
 
I like to arrange my proteins on a plate divided in quarters with cilantro. It keeps the proteins somewhat separate but allows you to pick your protein combination all at once. My favorites are seitan and chickpeas together for a chicken-like taco and "beef" and black beans together for a beefy taco. I serve the cold toppings in a bowl and the tortillas and shells on a plate that can be re-warmed.
 
The Results
This was a huge hit and was so incredibly simple to make. Some of us had burritos, others quesadillas or taco wraps. There were several tacos and even a taco salad. Fantastic!
 

Arroz con Pollo

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Arroz con Pollo 8

Day 294.

My version of arroz con pollo would more accurately be called "Arroz con Garbanzo," but it's converted from the original so I'm sticking with that. I've always been a little wary of dishes that cook the rice in the pan or in the CrockPot or whatever cooking utensils you're using. I can make Mexican rice just fine, but somehow the series of ingredients with other one-pot rice meals always makes me screw up royally. I either end up with crunchy rice and over-cooked veggies or a big pot o' mush. But this one seemed like it would be so tasty that I was tempted. Plus, it's so simple to convert! I used chickpeas as my "chicken" and left off the cheese entirely (though dairy-free cheese on top would be great, too, I'm sure).

Arroz con Pollo

Adapted from Arroz con Pollo. Serves 4-8 (4 entrees, 8 sides)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 cup chickpeas (OR 4 ounces seitan, cubed)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

3/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 cup sofrito (OR 1/2 onion, chopped and 1/2 bell pepper, chopped)

4 ounces green chiles, diced

1/2 can (7 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice

2 cups Easy Slow Cooker Vegetable Broth

1/2 cup rice, dry

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 cup cheese, shredded (optional)

cilantro, fresh chopped (optional)

Method

Heat a large skillet or medium pot and add olive oil. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix cumin, coriander, and turmeric in a small bowl. Add 1/2 tablespoon of that mix to your chickpeas and stir to coat. Set aside the remaining mix for later use.

Add seasoned chickpeas to the pan. Add in sofrito (or onion and bell pepper) and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add chiles and tomatoes and stir.

Add broth and rice. Add remaining cumin-coriander-turmeric mix. Add chile powder, salt and onion powder and stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, uncovered, or until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Add cheese if desired and cover. Cook for 1 to 2 more minutes to allow the cheese to melt.

The Results

Hallelujah! I did it. The rice is perfect and the veggies are delicious. And I absolutely love the bright colors in this dish. I often leave the turmeric out of recipes, but it really does make pretty fantastic-looking rice. This is incredibly tasty and I think the chickpeas are perfect as the protein in this dish. They really hold their own among all the rice and veggies in a way that I don't think other "meats" or even "real" meats would. Yum. The husband and kids dug this stuff, too. I'll admit it, selfishly, I kinda wish they hadn't.

This post shared at Tasty Tuesday, Fat Camp Friday, Crafty Friday, Friday Favorites, Potluck Friday,路Frugal Fridays, Foodie Friday, Fresh Food Friday and I'm Lovin' It.

Yield: 8

Arroz con Pollo

Arroz con Pollo

My version of arroz con pollo would more accurately be called "Arroz con Garbanzo," but it's converted from the original so I'm sticking with that.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup chickpeas (OR 4 ounces seitan, cubed)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 cup sofrito (OR 1/2 onion, chopped and 1/2 bell pepper, chopped)
  • 4 ounces green chiles, diced
  • 1/2 can (7 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice
  • 2 cups Easy Slow Cooker Vegetable Broth
  • 1/2 cup rice, dry
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 cup cheese, shredded (optional)
  • cilantro, fresh chopped (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat a large skillet or medium pot and add olive oil. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, mix cumin, coriander, and turmeric in a small bowl. Add 1/2 tablespoon of that mix to your chickpeas and stir to coat. Set aside the remaining mix for later use.
  3. Add seasoned chickpeas to the pan. Add in sofrito (or onion and bell pepper) and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add chiles and tomatoes and stir.
  4. Add broth and rice. Add remaining cumin-coriander-turmeric mix. Add chile powder, salt and onion powder and stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, uncovered, or until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Add cheese if desired and cover. Cook for 1 to 2 more minutes to allow the cheese to melt.
© Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com
Cuisine: Mexican / Category: Dinner
Arroz con Pollo 9

 

Slow Cooker Vegan Taco Soup

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Slow Cooker Vegan Taco Soup 10

Welcome聽HuffPost聽readers! Learn more about聽ME

Day 292.

Stephanie O'Dea's yummy Slow Cooker Taco Soup was one of the very first recipes I veggie-converted for my family back before I was writing the blog and even before Bug or Goose were eating the same meals that we were eating. For whatever reason, after making the regular rotation several times, this one slipped my mind and I had to rediscover its deliciousness. It's a pretty simple conversion as far as the meat, use 2 cups of lentil-rice "beef" instead of ground beef.

As for veganizing, it's not much different than I'd normally do, because I never buy those little packets of "ranch dressing mix." Instead, I mix up the herbs myself and, instead of the dry buttermilk, I mix soy milk into the soup itself.

The recipe ends up looking like a ton of ingredients, but for me, it's better than spending extra money on a seasoning packet even if I didn't want the recipe to be vegan and MSG-free. Plus, if you use them regularly enough, mixing up large batches of the Ranch mix as well as the taco seasoning mix to be used in recipes is definitely the way to go.

Slow Cooker Vegan Taco Soup

Adapted from Taco Soup.

Ingredients

2 cups black beans, cooked

14.5 ounces corn, undrained

2 cups diced tomatoes

7 ounces green chiles

1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix

MOCK RANCH DRESSING MIX (1 tablespoon)

1/2 tablespoon parsley

1/2 teaspoon dill

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon dried onion flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 cups Lentil and Rice Ground Beef Substitute

GARNISH (optional)

1-2 cups soy milk or Easy Slow Cooker Vegetable Broth

cheese

sour cream

fresh cilantro, chopped

Slow Cooker Method

Place all ingredients, in order, at the bottom of your slow cooker. It is especially important with the homemade "beef" to place it on top so the mixture doesn't get soggy. Cook on low 3 to 5 hours. At this point, you have a thick, nearly refried bean consistency taco soup.

I make it in this thick consistency because I can use the leftovers for tacos, burritos and quesadillas and whatever else I can dream up. Once it's done cooking, if you're going to eat the whole thing as soup, mix in 1 to 2 cups of soy milk or vegetable broth to soupify it to your desired consistency. If you use canned tomatoes with juice, you may not need to add much or any liquid at all. Otherwise, soupify your bowls individually and top with cilantro, sour cream and cheese, if desired.

Instant Pot Method

Place all ingredients except garnish in instant pot.

Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.

Allow pressure to naturally release.

Garnish and serve.

The Results

I had forgotten how much I love this soup and how versatile the leftovers can be. Not to mention the fact that you can really make each bowl individualized with various amounts and varieties of mix-ins.

We all loved this soup (it was Goose's first time eating it and she went crazy for it). I was a little concerned about the homemade beef blend holding up in the slow cooker soup (when I made it before I used pre-packaged "ground beef"), but putting it on top out of the bulk of the liquids really kept the beef together. I can't wait to craft a new leftover creation out of this one.

Slow Cooker Vegan Taco Soup

Recipe card

Yield: 4

Slow Cooker Vegan Taco Soup

Slow Cooker Vegan Taco Soup

This slow cooker vegan taco soup recipe is super delicious. Everyone in the family loved it! The leftovers have many uses and you can play with the spice.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups black beans, cooked
  • 14.5 ounces corn, undrained
  • 2 cups diced tomatoes
  • 7 ounces green chiles
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix
  • MOCK RANCH DRESSING MIX (1 tablespoon)
  • 1/2 tablespoon parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon dill
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried onion flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups Lentil and Rice Ground Beef Substitute
  • GARNISH (optional)
  • 1-2 cups soy milk or Easy Slow Cooker Vegetable Broth
  • cheese
  • sour cream
  • fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

  1. Slow Cooker Method
  2. Place all ingredients, in order, at the bottom of your crock. It is especially important with the homemade "beef" to place it on top so the mixture doesn't get soggy. Cook on low 3 to 5 hours. At this point, you have a thick, nearly refried bean consistency taco soup.
  3. I make it in this thick consistency because I can use the leftovers for tacos, burritos and quesadillas and whatever else I can dream up. Once it's done cooking, if you're going to eat the whole thing as soup, mix in 1 to 2 cups of soy milk or vegetable broth to soupify it to your desired consistency. If you use canned tomatoes with juice, you may not need to add much or any liquid at all. Otherwise, soupify your bowls individually and top with cilantro, sour cream and cheese, if desired.
  4. Instant Pot Method
  5. Place all ingredients except garnish in instant pot.
  6. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
  7. Allow pressure to naturally release.
  8. Garnish and serve.
© Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com
Cuisine: Mexican / Category: Lunch
Slow Cooker Vegan Taco Soup 11

Fajita Burgers {Vegan}

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Fajita Burgers {Vegan} 12

Day 284.

I love making burgers with the Lentil and Rice Ground Beef Substitute mix and I'm completely enamored of veggie fajitas. I could eat carmelized vegetables all day. So this recipe from Closet Cooking is a shoo-in for me. I, of course, swapped out the ground beef for the Lentil and Rice Ground Beef Substitute mix. But I also used a trick I learned from making these Japanese Sliders to make the burgers a little juicier, by adding diced onion and bread crumbs that have soaked up unsweetened soy milk to the burger patty. It really makes a difference. I also usually do sliders (about half the size of a regular burger patty, so it'd be 8 here instead of 4), mainly because it is a lot easier to keep a slider veggie patty together in the pan than a full-size burger patty. I went with the full patty here just for kicks and because I knew these would go fast with no leftovers (sliders are also easier to store and reheat). To further veganize it, beyond my usual veggie-converting, I used dairy-free cheese. You could also use a cashew cheese sauce.

Fajita Burgers
Adapted from Fajita Burgers.
Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup soy milk, unsweetened
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, fine
  • 2 cups Lentil and Rice Ground Beef Substitute
  • 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix #1
  • 1/4 cup salsa
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • About 1/2 cup masa or breadcrumbs to coat patties
  • 2-3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix #2
  • 1/4 cup water or broth
  • 4 buns
  • 1/2 cup (or 4 slices) dairy-free pepper jack cheese, shredded (optional)

Directions

Fajita Burgers {Vegan} 13

In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs and soy milk. Let sit for 5 minutes until breadcrumbs soak up soy milk.

Mix the breadcrumb mixture, "beef," diced onion, taco seasoning mix #1, salsa, Worcestershire sauce and cilantro.

Form into 4 (or 8 for sliders) patties 3/4 inches thick. Turn patties onto a masa or breadcrumb-dusted plate. Flip to coat. Place on griddle with a bit of olive oil and about 3-5 minutes per side (2-3 for sliders). Set aside, covered.

Meanwhile heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onions #2 and peppers and saute until tender, about 4-7 minutes. Mix in the taco seasoning mix #2 and water and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Assemble burgers, topping with fajita veggies and cheese.

The Results
Holy moly. Even without the delicious fajita-style veggies on top, these patties are delicious. The cilantro and onions are so fantastic. And then you top it off with caramelized onions and peppers. Stinking fantastic. The kids thought these were awesome (they split an adult-sized burger and asked for seconds). And the husband and I liked them so much we were a little resentful about giving up part of that fourth burger to the kids. 馃檪

This post is shared at路Tuesdays at the Table, Tuesday Night Supper Club,路Slightly Indulgent Tuesday,路Tasty Tuesday, Delectable Tuesday,路Tempt My Tummy Tuesday,路Delicious Dishes,路Real Food Wednesday, Recipe of the Week, Hearth and Soul,Tutorial Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday.

Creamy Tortilla Soup with Chickpeas and Corn {Vegetarian}

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Creamy Tortilla Soup with Chickpeas and Corn {Vegetarian} 14

Day 264.

 
I am a huge fan of all things Mexican, and tortilla soup is one that I've always enjoyed. But, alas, it almost always has some sort of chicken or other meat when you try to order it out. I've made a taco soup with ground beef substitute, but hadn't yet tried a chicken version. This creamy version just looks fantastic to me. All I needed to change was a swap of the chicken to chickpeas and the chicken stock for veggie stock. I also increased the garlic a tad and used chiles I could find (they didn't have Aji Amarillos at my market).
 
Creamy Tortilla Soup with Chickpeas and Corn

Ingredients

  • olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 yellow chiles (I used Hungarian wax chiles), seeded & stemmed
  • 4 corn tortillas, ripped into small pieces
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes with chilies (I subbed 2 cups leftover Roasted Corn Salsa for this and the corn)
  • 4 cups Easy Slow Cooker Vegetable Broth
  • 2 cups chickpeas, cooked
  • 1 cup corn
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup Mexican blend cheese, shredded

garnish options:

  • sour cream
  • corn tortillas, cut into strips and fried
  • lime wedges
  • chopped cilantro
  • cheese

Method

Heat olive oil in a medium Dutch oven (or deep, heavy pot) over medium heat; saut茅 onions and garlic for about 3 minutes, or until softened and just beginning to color. Add tortillas, chiles, and spices and saut茅 for another few minutes, stirring constantly. Pour in tomatoes with their juices and the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let bubble gently for 5-10 minutes.

Remove from heat and let it cool for a few minutes.  Pur茅e in batches in a blender until smooth.  If desired, strain back into dutch oven. Add chickpeas and corn and bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer for 5 minutes.  Turn off heat and stir in sour cream and cheese. Season to taste with salt.

Instant Pot Method

Turn instant pot on saute, medium. 

Saute onions and garlic for about 3 minutes with a bit of oil until softened.

Add remaining ingredients, except garnishes, chickpeas and corn and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. Allow pressure to naturally release.

Puree until smooth.

Strain if desired. Add chickpeas and corn and saute on high for 15 minutes.

Stir in sour cream and cheese. Add tortilla  Season to taste.

The Results

The creeping heat description that Heather gives is so accurate. It's one of those that you initially don't truly realize is going to be spicy. Then it subtly creeps up on you. I absolutely loved the flavor and the bites of chickpeas in the creamy soup. I thought it might be a little on the spicy side for the kids, but they enjoyed it as a dip for their fried tortilla strips.

The only downside to this soup, for me, is the flavors ended up reminding me a lot of curry, which isn't exactly what I want in my tortilla soup. I think, if i were to make it again, I'd replace the turmeric and cumin with taco seasoning mix. This time, I just mixed in a bit of tomato salsa in my bowl.

 

Beef Chimichangas

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Beef Chimichangas 15

Day 242.

If you haven't noticed, we love Mexican food. So I'm always looking for new Mexican recipes to try. I found a delicious-sounding beef chimis recipe that relies on vinegar and tons of yummy herbs to bring out flavor. So, of course, I had to convert it and give it a try. I didn't have to change much to make it veggie-friendly. I reduced the amount of "beef" a tad and changed the veggies to roasted corn salsa just because I had some leftover.

Beef Chimichangas
Ingredients

  • 3 cups ground beef substitute
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoon cumin, ground
  • 2 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 cups roasted corn salsa
  • 1/2 cup diced red onion or scallions
  • 1/2 cup hot sauce
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, preferably organic
  • 8 tortillas

Directions
In a large bowl, mix "beef," garlic and spices. Stir in rest of ingredients, except tortillas. Place 1/3 cup beef into tortilla, fold, place seam-side down in foil pans. Repeat until ingredients are gone. Preheat oven to 450. Bake for about 30 minutes until crispy. Sprinkle with cheese and serve with toppings of choice.

Results
My husband and liked these chimis a lot. Yummy and nicely different from your standard chimis, though. Bug (our 2-year-old) is kind of sensitive about vinegar, and the combination of the hot sauce and vinegar was too much for her. If your kids are similar, I'd suggest reducing the hot sauce a bit and adding it back to the adult portions later, if desired. I think the "beef" just doesn't absorb the vinegar as well as real beef.

This post is shared at路Tuesdays at the Table,路Slightly Indulgent Tuesday,路Tasty Tuesday, Delectable Tuesday,路Tempt My Tummy Tuesday,路Delicious Dishes,路Real Food Wednesday, Recipe of the Week, Hearth and Soul, Tasty Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday.

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